Loss of sense of touch can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose loss of sense of touch, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Guillain-Barre Syndrome | 91% | Confirm |
Neuritis/Neuropathy | 72% | Possible |
If you have experienced a loss or reduction in your sense of touch, when was it?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ In the past only, now resolved → It started more than 12 months ago → It started between 1 and 12 months ago → It started less than 1 month ago |
The sensory symptoms make themselves felt as the sensory nerves are attacked. The patient experiences loss or reduction of the sense of touch, or abnormal sensations such as burning, tingling, pins and needles, 'ants under the skin', vibrations, numbness, etc.
Nerve damage or swelling can make it impossible for nerve impulses to get through. This numbness may only affect a small area or may travel along the entire nerve, and it may be temporary or permanent.